The U.S. Navy commissioned the future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, during a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham, December 8.

The future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) is named in honor of the late U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, who served as a Hawaii representative in the Senate from 1963 until he died in 2012.

The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, delivered the keynote address at the ceremony. Remarks were also been provided by The Honorable David Ige, Governor of Hawaii; The Honorable Kaiali’i Kahele, U.S. Representative, Hawaii’s 2nd District; The Honorable Rick Blangiardi, Mayor of Honolulu; Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Mr. Ken Inouye, Senator Inouye’s son; and Mr. Ed Kenyon, Director of New Construction Programs, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.

«The late Senator Daniel Inouye spent his entire life in public service, both in uniform and out», said Del Toro. «Senator Inouye’s life is one to be emulated and the crew of this warship will not only be inspired by his legacy, but will stand the watch with the honor and dignity deserving of a ship bearing his name».

The ship’s sponsor Mrs. Irene Hirano Inouye, Senator Inouye’s wife, established a strong bond with the crew before her passing on April 7, 2020. At the keel laying in 2018, she welded her initials into the ship’s keel and, in 2019, she broke a bottle of champagne on the bow in a christening ceremony bestowing the name on the ship. During a «mast stepping» ceremony, she placed items special to Senator Inouye in the ship’s mast. Mrs. Inouye appointed two Matrons of Honor to assist with sponsorship duties: Jessica Inouye, the wife of Senator Inouye’s only son Ken, and Jennifer Sabas, Senator Inouye’s former chief of staff and current executive director of the Daniel Inouye Institute. In a time-honored Navy tradition, Jennifer and Jessica, along with the Maid of Honor, Maggie Inouye, Senator Inouye’s granddaughter, gave the first order to «man our ship and bring her to life», in Mrs. Inouye’s stead.

The commissioning ceremony coincides with the 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Commemoration events. On December 7, 1941, Daniel Inouye was a 17-year-old senior at Honolulu’s McKinley High School and rushed to a Red Cross aid station to help civilians and Sailors wounded in the attack.

On April 21, 1945, while serving with the 442nd Infantry Regiment Combat Team in Italy during World War II, an exploding grenade shattered his right arm during an assault. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation. He remained at the head of his platoon until they broke the enemy resistance and his troops deployed in defensive positions, continuing to fight until the regiment’s position was secured. Later in life, he received the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism during the assault.

Commander DonAnn Gilmore, of Anniston, Alabama, is the ship’s commanding officer and leads a crew of 329 officers and enlisted Sailors. Gilmore is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University. She previously commanded Mine Countermeasures Crew Exultant.

«This crew put a tremendous amount of work into preparing to bring USS Daniel Inouye to life on December 8. We all share a deep sense of pride and honor to represent our namesake, the late Senator and U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient Daniel Inouye and those he represented for 53 years in the House and Senate», said Gilmore. «Through USS Daniel Inouye’s service to our nation, every Sailor aboard will strive to make ours the preeminent ship on the waterfront. We embody the ship’s motto, a battle cry adopted from Senator Inouye’s Army unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. We will ‘Go For Broke!’ as Daniel Inouye did on the battlefield and in halls of the Senate».

The ship is nearly 510 feet/155 meters long and has a navigational draft of 33 feet/10 meters. As a Flight IIA destroyer, Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) is equipped with Aegis Baseline 9, which provides improved Integrated Air and Missile Defense capabilities, increased computing power, and radar capable of quickly detecting and reacting to modern air warfare and Ballistic Missile Defense threats.

Built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, Daniel Inouye was christened June 22, 2019, and delivered to the Navy on March 8, 2021.

In addition to Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works (BIW) has five additional Arleigh Burke-class destroyers under construction, to include the future: USS John Basilone (DDG-122), the future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124), the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127), the future USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG-126), and the future USS William Charette (DDG-130). Bath Iron Works is under contract to construct four additional Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with the Flight III configuration that includes enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense capabilities.

USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) is the 69th Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer commissioned to the U.S. Navy and the first ship to bear her name. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet and critical to the future U.S. Navy. They are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct various operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection – all supporting the United States military strategy.

USS Daniel Inouye’s homeport is Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

CHARACTERISTICS

GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS LINEUP

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

The future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) successfully completed acceptance trials February 4 after spending a day underway off the coast of Maine.

The Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) inspected the ship during a series of demonstrations while pier side and underway. Many of the ship’s onboard systems, including navigation, damage control, mechanical and electrical systems, combat systems, communications, and propulsion applications, were tested to validate performance and met or exceeded U.S. Navy specifications.

«Following an outstanding Combined Alpha and Bravo trials this past December, DDG-118 performed superbly during the ship’s Acceptance Trial earlier this week», said Captain Seth Miller, DDG-51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «The Navy and industry team are ready to deliver a highly capable multi-mission warship to the fleet within the next few weeks».

Daniel Inouye is a Flight IIA destroyer, equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9 Combat System, which includes Integrated Air and Missile Defense capability and enhanced Ballistic Missile Defense capabilities. This system delivers quick reaction time, high firepower, and increased electronic countermeasures capability against a variety of threats.

Following delivery, Daniel Inouye will be the 37th Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class destroyer to be delivered by BIW. The shipyard is also in production on the future Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), USS John Basilone (DDG-122), USS Harvey C. Barnum (DDG-124), USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127), and Flight III ships, USS Louis H. Wilson, Jr. (DDG-126), and USS William Charette (DDG-130), as well as the future Zumwalt-class destroyer, USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002).

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, Program Executive Office Ships (PEO Ships) is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and special warfare craft.

CHARACTERISTICS

GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS LINEUP

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

The Navy christened its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, June 22, in Bath, Maine.

The future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) is named in honor of Daniel Inouye, who served as a United States Senator for Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. He received the Medal of Honor June 21, 2000 for his extraordinary heroism in action while serving with the 442nd Infantry Regiment Combat Team in Italy during World War II. During an assault April 21, 1945, an exploding grenade shattered his right arm; despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation. He remained at the head of his platoon until they broke the enemy resistance and his men deployed in defensive positions, continuing to fight until the regiment’s position was secured.

U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii delivered the christening ceremony’s principal address. Irene Hirano Inouye, wife of the late Senator, served as the ship’s sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, Mrs. Inouye christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

«The future USS Daniel Inouye will serve for decades as a reminder of Senator Inouye’s service to our nation and his unwavering support of a strong Navy and Marine Corps team», said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. «This ship honors not only his service but the service of our shipbuilders who help make ours the greatest Navy and Marine Corps team in the world».

The future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) will be the 68th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and is one of 21 ships currently under contract for the DDG-51 program. The ship is configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection and delivers quick reaction time, high firepower, and increased electronic countermeasures capability for anti-air warfare. The Daniel Inouye will be 509.5 feet long and 59 feet wide, with a displacement of 9,496 tons. She will be homeported in Pearl Harbor.

Ship Characteristics

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion